All posts filed under: z32

Photo Frontiersusa.org

Jesus appears to Muslim husband and wife in their dreams

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Frontiers, is a Christian organization dedicated to preaching the Gospel among Muslims. One of their field workers recently reported on a remarkable conversion of a Muslim woman and her husband. According to the report, Gulzhan was meeting with a Christian worker for a Bible study in an unnamed isolated village. This went on for some time without the woman choosing to follow Christ. That all changed when Jesus appeared to Gulzhan in a dream. When that happened the woman knew she needed to become a Christian. As news of Gulzhan’s faith decision spread, the neighbors in the Islamic village where she lived were not impressed and immediately turned against the woman. But it was the onset of winter that drove Gulzhan from the proverbial pan into the fire. Though the cold weather reduced her interaction with the villagers, she was now in constant contact with her husband, Elemes, who was becoming increasingly agitated with Gulzhan’s faith. He would become enraged when he found his wife reading the Bible or singing hymns to God. In a …

Wall of a kindergarten class in Nymegen, Holland. Photo: Bruno Casonato/Flickr

The gift of time

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One of the big mistakes a parent can make is pushing their children ahead of their years. We want them in kindergarten at an earlier age and as a result they end up in school being the youngest child in their class. In these situations, children can often be diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and are prescribed medication to try to control it. However, the problem may simply be their age. Put them back a year, and they would completely fit in. A recent study by Stanford Graduate School of Education says holding a child back one year before entering kindergarten can “dramatically” improve a child’s self-control in later years. In the US, children traditionally enter kindergarten at age 5. The study was co-authored by Professor Thomas Dee of Stanford University and researcher Henrik Sievertsen from the Danish National Center for Social Research. They added that holding a child back one year in kindergarten can show beneficial results for a child up to the age of 11. It could even have positive benefits …

Antarctic penguin colony Photo: Ray Muzyka/Flickr

NASA fesses up — the Antarctic ice pack has been increasing in size for the past 33 years

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It’s a major confession for an organization that has promoted man-made global warming for the past couple of decades. But confession is good for the soul. A new study released by NASA shows that the Antarctic ice sheet has increased in size each year since 1992. The report appeared in the October 30th issue of Journal of Glaciology. The thawing of the polar ice caps has been one of the major cornerstones of UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) push to have country’s sign a climate treaty. It claims if we don’t reign in CO2 emissions, the ice caps will melt causing ocean levels to rise, sinking islands and washing away coastal cities. Unfortunately, the facts are not lining up with the fear mongering as the NASA report shows during the very period the IPCC claimed the Antarctic ice cap was shrinking, it was actually increasing in size. Using satellites, NASA measured the height of the Antarctic ice caps. These measurements revealed between 1992 and 2001, the Antarctic ice cap gained 112 billion tons …

Baptismal service in Iran Photo: Elam Ministries elam.com

The strange Christian anomaly

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ANOMALY: something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. There is a strange anomaly that occurs when Christians are persecuted — the Church goes through an incredible growth spurt. We can see it happening in the Middle East. Last week, Elam Ministries reported that there have been large numbers of Iranians turning to Christ and is expecting over 450 water baptisms this fall. Elam reported that over 240 Iranians were recently baptized in two services and another 16 in a smaller service. A fourth baptism is scheduled where it anticipates another 200 Iranians will be baptized. Elam Ministries was started by Christian Iranians in 1990. Based in England, its mission is to strengthen and equip the Church in Iran. It conservatively estimates there are over 360,000 believers in Iran with most attending house churches. It has reported a remarkable growth in the Church since the 1979 Islāmic revolution. The larger Iranian baptismal services are often day long events including a common meal, prayer, worship, preaching and communion. Those being baptized tend to wear …

Ynys Llanddwyn Lighthouse, Newborough, Wales, England Photo: Alex Brown/Flickr

A psychiatrist’s encounter with demon possession

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In an article published in the New Oxford Review, Dr. Richard Gallagher — an associate professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College — said a woman he worked with displayed overt signs of demon possession including levitation and paranormal acts. Julia, a pseudonym, was a former Catholic and first went to a Catholic priest seeking help believing she was being attacked by demons. From there she was referred to an official Catholic exorcist, who after a thorough examination, brought in Dr. Gallagher to examine Julia’s mental condition. Based on a number of sessions with Julia, Gallagher determined she was demon possessed. Gallagher states her actions were not only witnessed by himself and other fellow “mental health professionals,” but also by nurses, priests, lay people and nuns. Gallagher says most psychiatrists and doctors are not open to demon possession, despite frequent encounters with patients claiming they are under demonic attack. As a result, most in his profession routinely miss instances of genuine demonic possession. Written from a Catholic perspective, Gallagher provides insight on possession from …

Finding the right path through despair. Photo aha42 | tehaha/Foter/CC BY-NC

Finding your way through the valley of despair

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Recently, in a Sunday morning message, a friend shared about the loss of his two-year old grandson to cancer. Doctors diagnosed Lucien with leukemia early in his first year.  Cancer treatments and long hospital stays were the norm for this family. The promise of remission brought hope. Sadly, the cancer returned. Two years, two months and two days from his birth, Lucien passed. The prayer and support Lucien’s family received from their church and community during this time was phenomenal. Lucien, in his short time on earth, had become a celebrity in his own right. As well, his young and talented parents became well-known as they bravely fought their greatest battle sharing their journey through Facebook, photos and videos. Their Celtic music brought them reprieve in the dark days following their son’s passing. Gary, the grandfather, shared about the decision he personally faced following his grandson’s death. The family fought the hardest battle of their lives as they hoped, prayed and fasted for Lucien’s recovery. The previous two years had taken every ounce of emotional, …

Oldest operating McDonald's restaurant, vintage 1953, in Downey, California Photos Flickr - Left:Thomas Hawk; Right:Turkeychick

Jesus and Hamburgers

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Most of us are completely wrong about the world, and how we should live. The popular ‘best way to live your life’ is wrong. About a hundred years ago, Mr McDonald, an Irish immigrant, worked as a shift manager in a shoe factory. In 1937 his two sons Richard “Dick” and Maurice “Mac” moved to southern California and opened a hot dog stand in Pasadena. In 1940 they moved to San Bernadino, nearby, and switched to Hamburgers. That tiny business grew to become McDonald’s with the golden arches. From the start, the brothers searched for their own innovative ways of operating, instead of following the wisdom of the crowd. Here’s where they are today: Equivalent to one percent of the world’s population eats at McDonalds every day, more than the population of Britain. The company sells 75 hamburgers a second worldwide, and the Queen owns a franchise near Buckingham palace. The company has more revenue than Mongolia, its economy is larger than Ecuador’s, and it is the largest distributor of toys in the world. You …

The Ark of the Covenant created for the Hollywood movie Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie promotes the theory the Ark was lost in Eqypt. Photo: Marry Harrsch/Flickr

What happened to the Jewish Ark of the Covenant?

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The Temple Institute has just ordered production of the plans needed to build a new Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The group that is dedicated to seeing a temple rebuilt has already gone ahead and manufactured most of the furniture needed for the temple including the massive sacrificial alter. The only thing they have not made is the Ark of the Covenant. And there is a reason they didn’t build one. One of the great mysteries of the Bible is the disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant, the most important piece of furniture in the Jewish Temple. The Ark consisted of a chest made of acacia wood, about 4′ x 2.5′. It was overlaid with gold inside and out (Exodus 25:11). There was a lid on top made of pure gold referred to as the Mercy Seat (v 17) where two-winged cherubim (angelic beings) made of hammered gold sat on each end (v 18). The Presence of God rested on the Ark between the two Cherubim which was why it was referred to as the …

Atlanta on a Sunday Photo: Flickr/richardcawood.com

The God story behind the Hollywood movie ‘Captive’

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I remember watching the ads on TV for the movie “Captive,” but had no idea how much God was involved in the Hollywood thriller which hit the theaters September 18, 2015. The movie is based on an incident that took place in Atlanta, Georgia over ten years ago involving murderer Brian Nichols, 33, and his kidnapping of a young widow, Ashley Smith. On March 11 2005, Nichols was on trial for rape in an Atlanta courthouse. During his trial, Nichols overpowered Fulton County Sheriff’s deputy Cynthia Hall, then using her gun was able to escape captivity. In the process, he shot and murdered four people — Judge Rowland Barnes, Sheriff deputy Hoyt Teasley, immigration officer David Wilhelm and court reporter Julie Ann Brandau. In an interview with Dan Woods of Assist News, Ashley told her incredible story of God’s intervention. Ashley grew up in a Christian home, but at the age of 18 made some bad decisions. She started getting into drugs and ended up marrying a man who she watched get stabbed to death …

Pink lights flooding a bridge in West Palm Beach Florida during Breast Cancer Awareness week. Photo: Foter/captainkimo.com

Study shows that spirituality reduces cancer symptoms

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A study released by the Tampa-based Moffitt Cancer Center stated that a person’s spirituality or religiousness helps an individual not only deal with cancer but even the cancer treatment itself, that can be very difficult. The report conducted by Heather Jim looked at the results of several studies that considered (at least in part) the impact of spirituality on cancer patients. In total, they involved 32,000 patients who were experiencing various types of cancers and were at different stages of cancer. These studies showed that people who rate high on spiritual or religious scores reported “fewer or less severe” cancer symptoms. They also reported similar results with the cancer treatments. Jim pointed out that people without spirituality can also experience better outcomes, but those with a strong spiritual beliefs fared better overall. In her article on the study, Globe and Mail author Kathryn Doyle wrote: “A sense of connection to a being larger than oneself was associated with better physical function and fewer, or less severe, symptoms of cancer or treatment, according to patient reports.” …